The invention relates to air cleaners including air filter elements.
Air cleaners are known, including a housing extending axially along an axis and having an annular sidewall extending axially between first and second axial ends, the sidewall having an inlet receiving dirty incoming air, the first axial end having an outlet discharging clean filtered air, the second axial end being closable by a removable cover, the second axial end having a closed state when closed by the cover, the second axial end having an open state upon removal of the cover. An annular air filter element is axially insertable into the housing through the second axial end in the open state. The air filter element has an outer peripheral surface spaced inwardly of an interior surface of the sidewall of the housing and defining an annular dirty air inlet plenum therebetween receiving dirty air from the inlet. The air filter element has an inner peripheral surface defining a hollow interior providing a clean air outlet plenum supplying clean filtered air to the outlet. The air filter element includes annular filter media extending axially between the first and second endcaps. For further background, reference is made to the following U.S. patents, all incorporated herein by reference: U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,402,798; 6,958,083; 7,740,678.
The present disclosure arose during continuing development efforts in the above technology.